Envelop-moistener.



H. E. PAGKER. ENVELOP MOISTENBR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

I Patented May 31, 1910.

15 Jim ANDREW a. GRAHAM coypuowumosmwms. WASNNGTON, n. c,

HARRY E. PACKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. E.DELCAMP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENVELOP-MOISTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1916.

Application filed June 21, 1909. Serial No. 503,520.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HARRY E. PAGKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Moisteners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined guiding and moistening deviceadapted to be used for sealing envelops, and its objects are to providea rigid and substantial article for this purpose, which will beeffective to moisten not only the flaps but also the backs of theenvelops, which will enable envelopsto be sealed with great rapidity,and which will be exceedingly simple and economical in construction andcan therefore be manufactured at a low price. I accomplish theseobjects, and such advantages as will appear hereinafter, by means of thedevice shown in the accompanying drawings, in whieh- Figure '1 is a sideview, with parts broken away to show the interior construction; Fig. 2is a crosssectional view taken through about the center of the device;Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base of the device, with the top removed;and Fig. 4: is a plan view of the complete device, showing the way inwhich the envelops are passed thereover.

As shown in these drawings, 5 indicates a substantial base portion orreceptacle which is preferably made sufficient-ly heavy so that thedevice will stand firmly on a table or desk when it is being used. Thisbase or receptacle portion has one of its sides cut away as indicated at6 to form a lateral opening, and a portion of the bottom adjacent to theopening 6 is cut away as inclicated at 7 to make room for a portion of asponge or other water retaining and distributing member 8. The cover 9is provided at one side with a downward projection 10, which fits in theupper end of the opening 6 in order to hold the sponge in position andalso to form a guide for the envelop flap in passing over this opening.The top of the cover 9 is provided with an opening 11 at about thecenter thereof, this opening being opposite to the opening 6 in the sidewall of the base portion. At each end of the opening 11 are downwardlyand inwardly projecting deflectors or plates 12 which serve to hold theupwardly projecting portion of the sponge 8 centrally of the opening 11and also press the sponge in such a manner that the lower portionthereof will be compressed more tightly than the upper portion, therebyenabling the lower portion to carry more moisture while the upperportion will only be slightly moistened. The cover is also provided withdownwardly pro ecting lugs 13 adjacent to the ends thereof, one of whichis engaged by a screw 14 passlng through the base 5 to hold the coversecurely in position.

It will be noted that, by means of the simple form of both the base andcover portions, these can each be readily cast from suitable patterns,without the necessity of making.

cores, and therefore these parts can be made very readily andeconomically.

In operation, an envelop 15 is grasped in thehand and laid with its backon the upper face of the cover 9, as indicated in Fig. 4, with the flapl6 hanging down over the corner as indicated in this figure and also inFig. 2, and is then moved longitudinally over the moistening device, thepalm of the hand pressing the back down against the upwardly projectingportion of the sponge and the fingers pressing the flap against thelaterally projecting portion of the sponge, whereby both the mucilage orgum on the flap and also a corresponding portion of the back will bemoistened. Then, the flap is closed down against the back and theenvelop drawn through the fingers, thereby completing the sealingoperation which may be done almost instantaneously on account of theback being moistened as well as the mucilage 0n the flap; that is, whenthe back of the envelop is moistened, it will at once penetrate ordampen the envelop so that when the mueilage on the flap comes incontact therewith, it will adhere at once without the necessity of themoisture of the flap passing into or dampening the back portion of theenvelop. On account of the construction and arrangement of thisinvention, envelops may be passed across the same with exceedingrapidity and the sealing operation performed without the danger of anyportions getting outof orderor becomingderanged. It will also be notedthat as the palm of the hand presses the backs of the envelops againstthe upwardly projecting portions of the sponge, this will tend to causethe water to be pressed down into the lower portion of the sponge wherea larger quantity isrneeded on account of its being desirable to moistenthe mucilage more thoroughly than the backs.

Having thus described my invention and having pointed out the beneficialfeatures thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to, the exact constructionor arrangement shown and described, but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for moistening envelops, the combination of a base orreceptacle having an opening in one side thereof, a cover for saidreceptacle, having an opening in the top thereof, and a sponge securedin said receptacle, with one portion thereof extending through said sideopening and another portion thereof extending through said coveropening.

2. In an envelop moistener, the combination of a substantiallyrectangular receptacle having an opening in one sidethereof, a cover forsaid receptacle, having a clownward projection extending into the upperportion of said opening, said cover being also provided With an openingtherein adjacent to the opening in the side of said receptacle andhaving downwardly projecting deflectors at the ends of said opening, andmoisture retaining and distributing means in said receptacle, said meansbeing held by the deflectors and extending into said side and coveropenings.

8. In adevice of the character set forth, the combination of a heavybase portion having an opening in one side thereof and having a recessin the bottom thereof opposite to said opening, a cover for said baseportion, having a downwardly projecting lip extending into said sideopening to form a guide for the envelop flaps, said cover also having anopening in the center thereof, downwardly and inwardly projecting ribsat the ends of said opening, and a sponge in said base portion, saidsponge being engaged and held in position by means of said deflectors orribs and extending upwardly and laterally through said openings, wherebyenvelops passed over said device, with the flaps engaging with the sidethereof, will be moistened along the backs Where the sealing is to beeffected and will also have the gum or mucilage on the flaps moistened.

HARRY E. PACKER.

Vitnesses A. WV. FENsTEMAKnR, CARL H. CRAWFORD.

